August 2004

ISG Weirton to Start Second Blast Furnace to Meet Demand

Richfield, OH— International Steel Group Inc. announced plans to increase production at its ISG Weirton Inc. subsidiary in response to strong customer demand for its value-added, coated steel products. ISG will restart a second blast furnace at the Weirton, West Virginia facility, which is expected to produce approximately 2,200 additional tons of iron per day.

“The integration of Weirton Steel into the ISG family of businesses has occurred seamlessly and more rapidly than we had expected,” said Rodney Mott, president and chief executive officer of International Steel Group.

“The support of our customers, the enthusiasm and hard work of our employees and the cooperation of the Independent Steelworkers Union together have made it possible for ISG to start up Weirton’s second blast furnace — and, above all, to call another 50 steelworkers back to productive employment,” Mott said.

ISG is the largest producer of tin-plated steel for the packaging industry and the second-largest producer of galvanized steel in North America. Value-added grades of steel currently represent about 60 percent of ISG’s annual production. Value-added products carry higher selling prices and profit margins than commodity grades of steel.

ISG will invest about $2.5 million in repairs to ISG Weirton’s Number Four blast furnace and upgrades to the plant’s continuous slab caster. The blast furnace is expected to begin operation by the end of July following up to two weeks of repairs and improvements. Employees are being recalled immediately under the terms of the agreement between the company and the union. Following this recall, ISG Weirton will employ approximately 1,900 steelworkers.